What to Do if Your Windshield Cracks – Will Insurance Cover it?
Let’s say that you’re driving down the road on your way to the market, and you get stuck behind a large work truck. There’s no other lane to go into and it starts to rain. This can make you easily frustrated as you can’t see a thing and then all of a sudden, smack, that truck’s tire picks up a rock and throws it directly at your windshield.
Let’s just say that many people understand what you’re going through. That rock left some damage to your windshield, and you really are afraid to turn it in due to the high cost of the deductible you took out just to save a few dollars per month on your premium.
- Cracks – Believe it or not, there are several types of cracks that a windshield can suffer. The first and most common type is the chip. The chip is a small piece of windshield that is taken out due to an object being propelled towards it. The second type and most dreaded is the spider. As the name states, the crack resembles that of a spider’s web.
- Weather – If and when you experience a chip or spider crack, you will need to call your insurance company immediately or else the feared expansion will happen to your windshield. An expansion is when the owner does not take care of the crack and harsh weather makes the crack expand. It doesn’t matter if you live in Florida or Antarctica, extreme cold and hot weather is going to affect the windshield.
What to Do
You don’t need to panic when a stone or other object strikes your windshield. That is what comprehensive insurance is for. It takes care of you and your vehicle when the inevitable happens. Once you get home, all you need to do is call your insurance carrier and ask them to give you a rate on how much it will cost to cover the damage.
Sometimes an insurance carrier will deem the accident an “act of Mother Nature” and cover the crack under another type of policy other than your main policy. Most people are relieved to find out that they don’t have to pay that much out of pocket.
Not Covered
If you do not feel like going through your insurance provider to take care of the crack, you can always go straight to the dealership to see what it costs to replace your windshield. It’s a good idea to go straight to where you purchased your car. They will automatically know how to get another one and how much it will cost.
There are currently so many windshield repair companies that are able to assist you when needed. They don’t replace the entire windshield, but come out to wherever you are with a suction type device. They put the device directly on the crack and it seals it up. This may cost a little bit more than replacing your windshield, but at least you can have the job done in a few minutes as opposed to a few days.
Prolonged Crack
If a crack does not go below the rearview mirror, then most people do not bother replacing it. They don’t mind it because they no longer have to worry about the crack’s effect on getting your car inspected. This only applies in states that have inspections.
If you let the crack go on for too long, it may not be covered by your insurance provider. Insurance companies like to take care of accidents and other roadside mishaps as they occur, not months later. The longer you put off replacing it, the quicker your insurance company is going to deny you the right to get it fixed.
Comprehensive insurance providers have a standard in which they can pay for the vehicle to get repaired. An adjuster will come out to wherever you live and put a piece of paper on the crack. If the crack goes longer than the paper, they will not cover it. The opposite occurs when the crack meets the perimeters of the paper.
Insurance
When shopping for comprehensive insurance, make sure that you find a policy that fits all of your needs. That is not only reserved for accidents and medical coverage, but other things such as windshield cracks because they occur more so than vehicle accidents. They will also end up costing you more money if you haven’t gotten the right policy coverage, so do your research first.